Hook lock for traveling block

ABSTRACT

A lock is provided which fixes the hook on a traveling block with respect to the spring housing and block, at the same time allowing the hook to travel in a vertical direction the customary length of the spring within the housing. A pivoted L-shaped member engages an index ring by a downward pull and also disengages the index ring by a downward pull, thus allowing for ease of utility.

United States Patent 2 ,331,341 10/1943 Nicolson et al. 294/82 2,508,5955/ 1950 Christensen 294/ 82 X 2,661,232 12/1953 Long 254/192 X 2,814,52211/ 1957 Palmer et al 294/82 FOREIGN PATENTS 878,783 6/1953 Germany254/192 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-DouglasD. Watts Attorneys-Robert W. Mayer, Daniel Rubin, Raymond T.

Majesko, Roy L, Van Winkle, William E. Johnson, J r., Roderick W.MacDonald and Eddie E. Scott ABSTRACT: A lock is provided which fixesthe hook on a traveling block with respect to the spring housing andblock, at the same time allowing the hook to travel in a verticaldirection the customary length of the spring within the housing. Apivoted L-shaped member engages an index ring by a downward pull andalso disengages the index ring by a downward pull, thus allowing forease of utility.

PATENTl-Iunm 12 m1 SHEET 10F 2 FIG.

FIG. 2

INVENTOR WAYNE L. BRACKlN ATTORNEY PATENTEDUET 12 I97! SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG.3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR WAYNE L. BRACKIN ATTORNEY rroox LOCK FOR TRAVELING BLOCKBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to thehoisting equipment used by drilling rigs to handle the pipe used todrill, complete and service a well. In particular, the invention relatesto a lock used with that portion of the hoisting equipment whichconnects the traveling block to both the elevators and the swivel ndwhich is commonly called the hook.

The lock mechanism of this invention has utility when used with mosthook and traveling block assemblies. Examples of such hook assembliesare described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,163 entitled Hook Assembly, issuedon Oct. 11, 1966, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,696, entitled Hook Assembly,issued Mar. 25, 1969. It should be appreciated, however, that since mosthook assemblies can be modified to use the lock of the presentinvention, the particular hook assembly shown with the lock is not to beconstrued as a limiting factor upon the invention.

Although there have been various means and apparatus devised by those inthe prior art for locking the hook against rotation, such locks havebeen plagued by a multiplicity of problems such as costly machined partsinside of the spring housing and also the requirement of a longer hooksince part of the spring travel was frequently wasted length on thehook.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a newlock for fixing the hook against rotation with respect to the block.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a new hook lockassembly which allows shorter hooks to be used.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a less expensive, butvastly improved, hook lock assembly.

The objects of the invention are accomplished, briefly, by the use of alock ann which engages an index ring to lock the hook against rotationwith respect to the block. Means are provided for releasing and engagingthe lock arm with respect to the index ring by simple vertical downwardpull movements.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention willbe readily appreciated from a reading of the following detaileddescription of the invention and accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, of atraveling block and hook assembly having the hook lock assemblyaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1;

FIG 3 is a plan view of the index ring engaged by the lock arm accordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, of the lockarm assembly according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view, partly in cross section, of theassembly of FIG 4.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail, especially to FIG. I, thereis shown the traveling portion of hoisting equipment commonly used on adrilling rig for handling pipe, with the exception of the elevators. Thetraveling portion consists of a traveling block and a hook assembly,generally indicated by the number 16. Traveling block 10 includes aplurality of sheaves 11, five being shown in the drawing (see FIG. 2)but which can consist of any given number of sheaves. As is known in theart, a crown block (not shown) supports the traveling block through thehoisting lines 18.

Rotatably attached to the traveling block is hook assembly 16 whichincludes an adapter section 20 and a hook section 21.

The hook assembly 21 is arranged for rotation with respect to theadapter section 20, as would be observed at the surface 22 of FIG. 2. Asbest seen in the cross-sectional area of FIG. 1, the hook assembly 21has an extension member 23 extending through the adapter member 20,having a slightly enlarged cylindrical portion 24 at the upper most endthereof. An index ring member 25, shown in another view in FIG. 3, issecured to the uppermost end surface of the cylindrical member 24 by aplurality of connectors 26 through the mounting holes in the indexmember 25. Thus it should be appreciated that as the book 21 rotates,the extension members 23 and 25, along with the index ring 25 alsorotate. As will be explained hereinafter, a lock arm engaging one of theindented areas 28 will cause the entire book member 21 to be incapableof rotation with respect to the adapter 20.

A spring 30 is mounted under the index ring 25 around the cylindricalextension member 23 in a manner conventional to the art of travelingblock and hook assemblies. Usually such springs are provided withsufficient strength to not only lift hook 21, but also to lift a standof pipe supported by the hook section. Then when a stand is broken outof the pipe string, the spring will pull the pin of the lower tool jointout of the box of the next stand, therebv eliminating the necessity ofraising the stand again before it can be racked.

A plunger 31 is attached to a plate 32 and adapted to guide the member24 whenever the hook member 21 is experiencing a load sufficient to pulldown on the spring 30.

The adapter and hook assembly 16 is also arranged to pivot about the pin40, best illustrated in FIG. 2, with respect to the traveling blockassembly 10.

The hook lock assembly 50, with its locking arm 51, better illustratedin FIGS. 4 and 5, is shown in FIG. 1 in its relationship to the indexring 25.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the index ring 25, having aplurality of mounting holes 27. The index ring 25 also has a pluralityof slots 28 such that the lock arm which is described with respect toFIGS. 4 and 5 can be more easily engaged with the index ring.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a side elevational view ofthe lock assembly 50, partly in cross section. The lock assembly 50includes an L-shaped locking am 51 which has one of its ends pivoted formovement around a pin '52 connected to the adapter assembly 20. Itshould beappreciated that it is the edge 53 of the locking arm 51 whichengages one of the slots 28 in the index ring 25 of FIG. 3. A pin 54 isprovided from the adapter 20 for engagement with the notched out area 49of the locking arm 51 to provide proper position for thealignment of thelock rod and the two holes described hereinafter. A spring 55 attachedto the adapter assembly 20 causes the locking arm 51 to be forced intoengagement with the index ring 25 when no other forces are present. Alock guide housing 56, shown in cross section in FIG. 4, is secured tothe adapter assembly 20 by a connector 57. Slidably mounted within thelock guide housing 56 is a lock rod 58 having an eye at the bottomthereof. Also slidably mounted within the housing 56 is a lock guideassembly 59 surrounding the lock rod 58 and having a U-shaped upperextremity for access by the nonpivoted end of the locking arm 51. Thelock guide assembly 59 is pinned to the lock rod 58 by a pin 60. Aspring 61 causes the lock rod 58 and lock guide assembly 59 to be pushedupward into engagement with the holes 62 and 63 until lock rod member 58is disengaged as will be explained hereinafter.

' The locking arm 51 has a pair of holes 62 and 63 for receiving thelock rod 58. In the preferred embodiment, the lock rod 58 has acylindrical-shaped upper extremity and the holes 62 and 63 arecylindrical-shaped holes for receiving the lock rod 58. However, itshould be appreciated that the upper extremity of the lock rod 58 couldbe of any shape desired and that the holes 62 and 63 could be made inany manner desired for receiving the lock rod 58.

In the operation of the lock assembly heretofore described, it should beappreciated that the spring 55 forces the locking bar 51 into engagementwith one of the slots 28 on the index ring 25 and that the lock rod 58is positioned in the hole 63, thus locking the bar 51 in that closedposition. The pin 54 provides the proper position for the alignment ofthe rod 58 in the hole 63. To disengage the lock bar 51 from the indexring 25, one has only to pull down on the slot 65 provided on thenonpivoted end of the L-shaped locking bar 51. Although not illustrated,this can be done by attaching a cable or any other such means throughthe slot 65 for exerting a downward pull. By pulling down on the slot65, the lock guide assembly 59 and lock rod 58 are together pulled down,disengaging the lock rod 58 from the hole 63. As can be seen in FIG. 4,the top of the locking rod 58 moves downward far enough for the rod 58to leave the hole 63 before the locking arm 5! begins to pivotresponsive to the downward pulling force. The downward pulling movementon the slot 65 then causes the locking arm 51 to be pivoted about thepin 52, thus disengaging the locking arm 51 from the index ring 25. Whenthe-locking bar 51 has reached its full disengaged or open position, thelocking rod 58 engages the hole 62 for causing a securely locked openposition." When it is desired to again engage the locking bar 51 withthe index ring 25, the eye of the locking rod 58 is pulled down, as by arope or cable attached thereto (not illustrated). By disengaging thelocking rod 58 from the hole 62, the spring member 55 then causes thelocking rod 51 to be pushed over into the fully engaged position withinthe index ring 25.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodimentsdescribed herein are presented by way of example only and manymodifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from thespirit of the invention. For example, although a slotted index ring isprovided for receiving the locking bar 51, it should be appreciated thatother types of conventional slotted receiving means can be used asalternative embodiments.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A book lock assembly including a hook and an adapter for attachingthe hook to a traveling block wherein the hook is pivotally attached tothe adapter to allow the hook to pivot with respect to the adapter,comprising:

a movable locking arm attached to said adapter, said locking armcomprising an L-shaped member pivoted about one of its ends and havingfirst and second locking rod receptacles; I

a locking arm receiving member rigidly attached to said hook;

a springJoaded locking rod slidably attached to said adapter adapted tobe successively inserted and removed from said receptacles inconjunction with the movement of said locking arm;

spring means for causing said locking arm to engage said receivingmember after said locking rod is removed from said first receptacle; and

means for disengaging said locking arm from said receiving member aftersaid locking rod is removed from said second receptacle,

said means for disengaging said locking arm from .said receiving membercomprising means for applying a downward vertical force to thenonpivoted end of said L- shaped member.

2. The hook lock assembly according to claim 1 wherein said receivingmember comprises a slotted index ring.

1. A hook lock assembly including a hook and an adapter for attachingthe hook to a traveling block wherein the hook is pivotally attached tothe adapter to allow the hook to pivot with respect to the adapter,comprising: a movable locking arm attached to said adapter, said lockingarm comprising an L-shaped member pivoted about one of its ends andhaving first and second locking rod receptacles; a locking arm receivingmember rigidly attached to said hook; a spring-loaded locking rodslidably attached to said adapter adapted to be successively insertedand removed from said receptacles in conjunction with the movement ofsaid locking arm; spring means for causing said locking arm to engagesaid receiving member after said locking rod is removed from said firstreceptacle; and means for disengaging said locking arm from saidreceiving member after said locKing rod is removed from said secondreceptacle, said means for disengaging said locking arm from saidreceiving member comprising means for applying a downward vertical forceto the nonpivoted end of said L-shaped member.
 2. The hook lock assemblyaccording to claim 1 wherein said receiving member comprises a slottedindex ring.